Maurice Strong

Maurice F. Strong (born 1929) was named Senior Advisor to the President of the World Bank in June 1995.

From December 1992 until December 1995, Mr. Strong was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ontario Hydro, North America's largest utility. Until September 1992, Mr. Strong was Secretary General of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) and Under-Secretary General of the United Nations. During 1985 and 1986, he served as Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Office for Emergency Operations in Africa and was a member of the World Commission on Environment and Development.

Born in Canada and a resident of Toronto, Canada, Mr. Strong has longstanding ties with both the private and public sectors. Mr. Strong served as the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment from November 1970 to December 1972, and subsequently became the first Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya (January 1973-December 1975). He was then appointed President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canada's national oil company, Petro-Canada.

He also has been President of Power Corporation of Canada, first President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Chairman of the Canada Development Investment Corporation and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre (IDCR) in Canada. Mr. Strong is an advisor to the United Nations, and serves on the board of several other public service organizations. He has been a director and/or officer of a number of Canadian, U.S. and international corporations.

"He has received a number of awards and honours including the Order of Canada, the Swedish Royal Order of the Polar Star, and honourary doctorates from 37 universities. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (U.K.), the Royal Society of Canada and the Royal Architectural Society of Canada.Mr. Strong was born 29 April 1929, and educated in Manitoba, Canada. He is married to Hanne Marstrand and has four children, a foster child and eight grandchildren. His current appointments include:


 * Under-Secretary General and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General, United Nations
 * Special Advisor to the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme
 * Chairman, Earth Council Institute
 * Chairman, International Advisory Board, CH2M Hill Group Inc.
 * Director, Foundation Board, World Economic Forum
 * Director, The Human Society of the United States
 * Member, Toyota International Advisory Board
 * Director, Zenon Environmental Inc.
 * Advisory Council, LEAD International

Past appointments include:
 * Special Advisor to the President, World Bank
 * 1998-2001 Mamber International Advisory Board, Federation of Korean Industry
 * 1992-1995 Chairman, Ontario Hydro
 * 1992 Secretary General, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
 * 1985-1986 Executive Coordinator, United Nations Office for Emergency Operations in Africa
 * 1983-1987 Member World Commission on Environment and Development
 * 1976-1978 President, Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Petro-Canada
 * 1973-1975 Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
 * 1970-1972 Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on the Human Environment
 * 1970-1972, 1976-1980, Chairman, Board of Governors, International Development Research Centre, Membmer of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum
 * 1966-1970 Headed Canada's International Development Assistance Program as Director-General of the External Aid Office, and later as President and Chairman of the Board of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
 * 1966-1970 Alternate Governor for Canada- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Chairman, Bureau of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

"After the Earth Summit, Strong continued to take a leading role in implementing the results of Rio through establishment of the Earth Council, the Earth Charter movement, his Chairmanship of the World Resources Institute, Membership on the Board of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Stockholm Environment Institute, the African-American Institute, the Institute of Ecology in Indonesia, the Beijer Institute of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and others. Strong was a longtime Foundation Director of the World Economic Forum, a Senior Advisor to the President of the World Bank, a Member of the International Advisory of Toyota Motor Corporation, the Advisory Council for the Center for International Development of Harvard University, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the World Wildlife Fund, Resources for the Future, and the Eisenhower Fellowships."

"Mr. Strong founded the Earth Council in 1992 after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, and is now extending that leadership with a new mandate to unite local councils and affiliated organizations under the Earth Council Alliance with co-founder Tommy E. Short.

"In addition, he is currently spending much of his time in China in his role as advisor to government, business and United Nations organizations. He also is a special advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as chairman of the council, University for Peace, affiliated with United Nations...

Because of his time spent in China, Strong has remained out of the spotlight. However, in May 2010, Strong found himself in the headlines and even as a trending topic on Twitter following comments made by Glenn Beck. Beck is a vocal denier of the scientific opinion on climate change. His CNN Headline News May 2 2007 hour-long special, Exposed: The Climate of Fear, was described by Media Matters as "dominated by industry-funded "experts," serial misinformers." . He believes that global warming is being used to secretly usher in a "new world order".

Beck kicked off his May 13, 2010 show by posting an on-screen graphic that read: "What if a small group of these world leaders were to conclude that the principal risk to the Earth comes from the actions of the rich countries? In order to save the planet, the group decides: Isn't the only hope for the planet that the industrialized civilizations collapse? Isn't it our responsibility to bring this about?" (Strong allegedly said this to a reporter in 1990). Beck went on to suggest that Strong's hypothetical remark shows that he is "involved in collapsing the global economies into the hands of a global government".

Strong then took to his website to address the issue:

Although I seldom respond to media criticisms which are for the most part ideologically based it is useful to put on record for those who may be interested, the facts which have been the subject of misinformation, misinterpretation and outright lying by my critics (number 4 directly addressed the quote used by Beck):

4. A particularly dishonest statement by long-time critic, Peter Foster, to his own editor, citing a fictional account which was clearly stated to be an extreme scenario of what might happen by the year 2030 if we failed to act. This specifically stated that it was not a prediction, and certainly not a recommendation, but the kind of prospect we must seek to avoid.

"Earlier in his career Mr. Strong served in investment and senior management positions with corporations in the energy and financial sectors. He was president of the Power Corporation of Canada before leaving in 1966 to head Canada’s External Aid Office, later reorganized as the Canadian International Development Agency.

"Mr. Strong returned to Canada as president, chairman and CEO of Petro-Canada (1976-78). He served as Chairman of the International Energy Development Corporation from 1980 to 1983 and of the Canada Development Investment Corporation from 1982 to 1984." His son is Fred Strong.

Other Affiliations

 * Director, Wealth Minerals
 * Distinguished Fellow, International Institute for Sustainable Development
 * Management Commitee, Institute for War and Peace Reporting
 * Former International Advisory Board member, Auroville Foundation
 * Director, World Future Society
 * Honorary Board Member, David Suzuki Foundation
 * Honorary Chair, Oriental Environmental Institute
 * Former Director, Better World Society
 * Ex officio President, University for Peace
 * Management Committee of the Institute for Media, Peace and Security
 * Honorary President, World Federation of United Nations Associations
 * Former Chair, Technology Development Corporation

Awards
Strong has been awarded numerous awards including "the Order of Canada, the Swedish Royal Order of the Polar Star, the IAIA Global Environment Award and honourary doctorates from 46 universities, including one from York. In addition, Strong is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Royal Society (UK), and Royal Architectural Society of Canada." 


 * Winner of the 1981 Lindbergh Award

Books

 * Maurice Strong, Conference on the Human Environment Founex Switzerland June 4-12 1971 (Paperback), Walter De Gruyter Inc (June 1973), ISBN 9027969906
 * Maurice Strong, The Castel Gandolfo report on renewable energy: Policies and options, North South Roundtable, January 1981, ASIN B0006XXXJ6
 * Maurice Strong, Where on Earth Are We Going?, Texere; 1st edition, April 2001, ISBN 158799092X (Hardcover).

Congressional Testimony

 * Maurice Strong, "Statement of Maurice F. Strong, Chairman Earth Council Foundation", Testimony at a hearing of the United States Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works and the Committee on Foreign Relations, July 24, 2002.

Speches and Articles by Strong

 * "Notes Fro Lecture By Maurice F. Strong at York University", September 28th, 2001.

Related Sourcewatch

 * Sustainable development
 * Bella Abzug - former senior advisor
 * Lindisfarne Association
 * James Richardson & Sons

Biographical Notes

 * "Mr. Maurice Strong", undated, accessed August 2006.
 * National Council for Science and the Environment, "Maurice Strong Joins NCSE Board of Directors", Media Release, May 13, 2003.
 * "About Earth Council Alliance", accessed August 2006.
 * "Maurice Strong: Distinguished Fellow", International Institute for Sustainable Development, undated accessed August 2006.

Interviews With Strong

 * George Negus, "Interview with Maurice Strong & Dr. Clovis Maksoud", "Foreigh Correspondent", ABC TV, July 15, 1997.
 * Michael Stoll, "Maurice Strong: Our Man in Rio (and San Francisco, too)", Commentary, E Magazine, undated, accessed August 2006.

Other Articles

 * Elaine Dewar, "Cloak of Green: The Links between Key Environmental Groups, Government and Big Business", Lorimer, January 1995. SBN 10 1-55028-450-9 (Paperback) ISBN 10 1-55028-451-7 (Hardback). (Dewar undertook a 2 day critical interview with Maurice Strong which is fully reported in this book)
 * John Passacantando, "George W. Bush, Meet Maurice Strong", Alternet, August 27, 2002. (Passacantando is Greenpeace USA's executive director).
 * "Environment: The globe's green avenger", Maurice Strong and The Global Environmental Governance Project article in Nature, vol. 460, pp.454-4555, 2009.